General Rosary Intention: That the Father in His Divine Mercy – through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Mother of Mercy, may build up His Kingdom, make these mysteries a reality in our lives, strengthen us in our common mission, and come to the aid of those for whom we pray.

Africa (Green Beads)

Intention – That the Lord Jesus through the intercession of St. Anthony of Padua, the Patron Saint against Starvation, may come to the aid of those affected by malnutrition in Nigeria. May the Lord help all those affected by man-made and natural disasters in Africa.

Disaster: Malnutrition Map of Nigeria Extract from 244,000 hungry children:After his father, a welder from Bama, died in a camp for internally displaced people in Nigeria’s northeastern city of Maiduguri, 17-year-old Dauda began to cater for the two wives and eight other children who had survived him. Aided by the little money donated by one of the locals bringing food to the Dalori camp, home to 18,000 people rendered homeless by the Boko Haram insurgency, he now sells caps to provide two square meals a day for his family. Not everyone has been that lucky. The situation in the region, where the insurgency has claimed more than 20,000 lives since 2009, was grave enough for Médecins Sans Frontières to warn last week that malnourished children were dying in large numbers. The following day, an insurgent attack led to the suspension of the delivery of vital supplies, compounding the crisis. Thierry Laurent-Badin, programme director for Action Contre la Faim in Nigeria, estimates that about 244,000 children are currently suffering from severe acute malnutrition in areas that used to be a complete no-go due to security restrictions, a figure also announced recently by UNICEF.

Saint Anthony of Padua: Patron Saint against Starvation (Feast Date: June 3) Extract from Novena to Saint Anthony: “St. Anthony of Padua is a favorite saint of many people. Called the ‘Wonder Worker’ because of the many miracles with which God has favored him, St. Anthony has traditionally been the refuge of all who have lost things, whether temporal or spiritual. If you want to express your devotion to St. Anthony, you can make a novena of nine or thirteen Tuesdays, or of nine consecutive days, by using any of the following prayers. . . . ‘St. Anthony, your love for the infant Jesus made him present to you to see and hold in your arms. Help us to see and love Jesus in all the poor and suffering of the world. Move us to clothe, feed and help Jesus, in all unwanted, abused and abandoned children and people. Lead us, for the sake of Jesus, who became a child like one of us, to reverence and protect all human life from its beginning to its end. Amen.’” See Baroque PICTURE of Saint Anthony of Padua. Saint Anthony of Padua.

Oceania (Blue Beads)

Intention – That the Lord Jesus through the intercession of Saint Francis Xavier, the Patron Saint of New Zealand, may come to the aid of those affected by homelessness in that country. May the Lord help all those affected by man-made and natural disasters in Oceania.

Disaster: Homelessness Map of New Zealand Extract from New Zealand’s homeless: Living in cars and garages “I don’t want to take my family back on the streets again,” says Alisia Finau, fighting back tears.She has invited me into the motel unit in South Auckland where she is living with her two sons, aged 16 and 17. We sit at the kitchen table while the boys loaf on single beds in the open-plan room. They are clearly bored and demotivated, passing time watching daytime TV on mute. It’s been a tough year for the 38-year-old Tongan New Zealander. When the house she had rented for the past six years was sold, she was forced to move out. But she couldn’t afford anywhere else. She had been working as a security guard but could no longer hold down the job. As a result her 61-year-old mother, two sons, her 14-year-old daughter and her dog moved with her into what she calls her ‘van’ – a standard-sized estate car, or station wagon. All three children dropped out of school and for three months, as they waited for social housing, they lived out of the vehicle, moving around the country, staying in friends’ driveways and barbecuing their dinner at parks or eating shellfish they had collected from beaches along the way. As the winter arrived they started spending as much time as they could in cafes and tearooms. ‘We were [practically] living in shops. If we could buy a pie, that would be us for the whole day,’ she says. When Auckland’s cold, wet winter and nights of sleepless worry had finally exhausted her, Alisia was offered emergency housing: a basic one-bedroom motel unit near Auckland’s airport. By that time, her mother had fallen sick and moved in with Alisia’s brother, his wife and their eight children, in their three-bedroom rented house. Alisia’s daughter had also had enough of living in the car and demanded that social services step in. With their help she went to live with relatives 450km south of Auckland. As Alisia remembers it, she breaks down.’I know we’re not in the van any more, we’re under a roof, but it still feels the same because it’s not our home,’ she says, clearly exhausted. ‘I don’t know what is going to happen and I don’t want to lose any more of my kids.” See also: Homelessness rising in New Zealand, Most homeless people in New Zealand working or studying, Businessmen mull buying cruise ship to house homeless people, A cruise ship for homeless people?

Saint Francis Xavier: Patron Saint of New Zealand (Feast Date: December 3) Extract from Saint Francis Xavier: “Tremendously successful missionary for ten years in India, the East Indies, and Japan, baptizing more than 40,000 converts. His epic finds him dining with head hunters, washing the sores of lepers in Venice, teaching catechism to Indian children, baptizing 10,000 in a single month. He tolerated the most appalling conditions on long sea voyages, enduring extremes of heat and cold. Wherever he went he would seek out and help the poor and forgotten. He traveled thousands of miles, most on his bare feet, and he saw the greater part of the Far East. Had the gift of tongues. Miracle worker. Raised people from the dead. Calmed storms. Prophet. Healer.” See picture of Saint Francis Xavier, Prayers to St. Francis Xavier,St. Francis Xavier.

Europe

Intention – That the Lord Jesus through the intercession of Saint Victoria, the Patron Saint against earthquakes, may come to the aid of those affected by the devastating earthquake in Italy. May the Lord help all those affected by man-made and natural disasters in Europe.

Saint Victoria: Patron Saint against Earthquakes (Feast Date: September 3, 15) Extract from Saint Victoria: Beautiful Roman Christian noblewoman. Sister of Saint Anatolia. The two sisters were set for arranged marriages to noble Roman pagans, and were hesitant. Victoria argued that it would be all right as the patriarchs in the Old Testament had been married; but Anatolia cited other examples to prove that for the holiest lives, they should devote themselves to God and stay single. Victoria was convinced, sold her jewelry, gave the money to the poor, and refused to go through with the wedding to a fellow named Eugenius. The two suitors insisted on the weddings, and the sisters refused. The young men denouced the women as Christians, but obtained authority to imprison them their estates, in hopes of breaking their faith and changing their minds. The women converted their servants and guards sent to watch them. Anatolia’s suitor, Titus Aurelius, soon gave up, and handed her back to the authorities. Eugenius stayed at it for years, alternating between good and harsh treatment of Victoria, but eventually even he gave up, and returned her to the authorities. She was martyred by order of Julian. . . . stabbed through the heart in 250 by the executioner Liliarcus at Tabulana, Italy. Legend says her murderer was immediately struck with leprosy, and died six days later, eaten by worms.

America (Red Beads)

Intention – That the Lord Jesus through the intercession of St. Mary, Our Lady of Prompt Succor, the Patroness of Louisiana, may come to the aid of those affected by severe flooding there. May the Lord help all those affected by man-made and natural disasters in America.

Disaster: Flooding Map of Louisiana, U.S.A.Extract fom Louisiana flood: Worst US disaster since Hurricane Sandy, Red Cross says: “The catastrophic flood devastating Louisiana is now the worst natural disaster to strike the United States since Hurricane Sandy four years ago, the Red Cross said. ‘Thousands of people in Louisiana have lost everything they own and need our help now,’ said Brad Kieserman, the Red Cross’ vice president of disaster services operations and logistics. ‘This disaster is the worst to hit the United States since Superstorm Sandy, and we anticipate it will cost at least $30 million — a number which may grow as we learn more about the scope and magnitude of the devastation’ . . . . ‘ I bought enough food to last for a week in case we were flooded in, but I wasn’t prepared for this much devastation,” said Jo Lee Misner, who lives in the Livingston Parish community of Colyell. “Local stores are running low on everything from food to fuel.’ At least 36 of her relatives have lost their homes — all 13 of them. ‘It’s unbelievable what we’ve been through,’ she said. ‘We never imaged this would happen.’ And it’s not over. At least 13 people have died across five parishes. And with more rain forecast, the destruction could mount.” See also: Four dead, 20,000 rescued from Louisiana flooding, Donald Trump tours flood-ravaged Louisiana with 18-wheeler of supplies.

Saint Mary, Our Lady of Prompt Succor: Patron Saint of Louisiana (Feast Date: January 8) Extract from Our Lady of Prompt Succor: “Many miracles have been attributed to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title of Our Lady of Prompt Succor. Two historical events are especially associated with the Virgin. The first occurred during the eruption of a great fire in New Orleans devastating the Vieux Carré. The Ursuline convent was facing imminent destruction as the winds blew the terrible fire toward Jackson Square. An order was given to evacuate the convent, however at that moment, a nun named Sr. Anthony placed a small statue of Our Lady of Prompt Succor on a window seat and Mother St. Michel began to pray aloud, “Our Lady of Prompt Succor, we are lost unless you hasten to our aid!” Immediately, the wind shifted direction, blowing the flames away from the convent allowing for the fire to be extinguished. The Ursuline convent was one of the few buildings spared from destruction. Upon seeing the inexplicable occurrence, witnesses unanimously cried out, “Our Lady of Prompt Succor has saved us!” See PICTURE of Our Lay of Prompt Succor. Our Lay of Prompt Succor NOVENA. Our Lady of Prompt Succor.

Asia (Yellow Beads)

Intention – That the Lord Jesus through the intercession of St. Barbara, the Patron Saint of Syria, may come to the aid of those affected by deadly barrel bombings in that country. May the Lord help all those affected by man-made and natural disasters in Asia.

Saint Barbara: Patron Saint of Syria (Feast Date: December 4) Extract from Ancient Military History Suite 101.com: “St Barbara is one of the most well known of a class of military saints of the Early Church. She is venerated by artillerymen worldwide. She is believed to have lived near in Asia Minor (today Izmit, Turkey) in the third century AD. Barbara converted to Christianity and Dioscurus, a heathen, denounced her and ordered her brutally tortured and killed by beheading in the year 235. After her death Dioscurus was immediately struck dead by a bolt of lightening. She was later canonized by the Catholic Church.” See pictures of Saint Barbara,Prayers to St. Barbara. Saint Barbara.